How much intensity?

[Bearshirt Buddhist]

Thanks for this. It answers some niggling questions I've been having.

Theo
Sat today

[Shinshou]

Here's a very short article that from Tricycle that was in my inbox today. Very appropriate.

"The best way to deal with excessive thinking is to just listen to it, to listen to the mind. Listening is much more effective than trying to stop thought or cut it off. When we listen there is a different mode employed in the heart. Instead of trying to cut it off, we receive thought without making anything out of it.

Most of our thoughts are like dreams. Occasionally, perhaps once or twice a year, we may have a dream that is significant and we know it. We may not know exactly what it is about, but it is pretty clear that there’s a message in it. But the other 364 days a year it’s just the leftovers of the day. There is nothing particularly significant or important about any of our dream content at all. It’s just the residue, the echoes of the day’s events and activities, the things that we have rehashed a couple of times already.

When we look at thought in this way, we aren’t being pulled into it. We can just look at it. We don’t reject it or suppress it, but we don’t buy into it either. We don’t make more out of it than is there. That attitude of listening, of opening to and receiving thought, has a liberating quality in and of itself."

Adapted from “Thinking,” by Ajahn Amaro. Originally published in Mindfulness, Vol. 1, No. 3. Reprinted with permission of Ajahn Amaro.


Dan
Sat today

[Jishin]

"The best way to deal with excessive thinking is to just listen to it, to listen to the mind. Listening is much more effective than trying to stop thought or cut it off. When we listen there is a different mode employed in the heart. Instead of trying to cut it off, we receive thought without making anything out of it.

This is not Shikantaza. Listening is grasping. Cutting it off is pushing. Thinking amidst big Thinking, neither listening or cutting anything off is the way. Just sit. That's all.

My 2 cents.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Mp]

"The best way to deal with excessive thinking is to just listen to it, to listen to the mind. Listening is much more effective than trying to stop thought or cut it off. When we listen there is a different mode employed in the heart. Instead of trying to cut it off, we receive thought without making anything out of it.

This is not Shikantaza. Listening is grasping. Cutting it off is pushing. Thinking amidst big Thinking, neither listening or cutting anything off is the way. Just sit. That's all.

My 2 cents.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

What Jishin is saying is very true ... the best way to deal with it is to just accept it as it is, no need to push or grasp. When we sit, we just sit it this wholeness, this completeness nothing needing to be added or removed. =)

Gassho
Shingen

SatToday/LAH

[Jundo]

What Jishin is saying is very true ... the best way to deal with it is to just accept it as it is, no need to push or grasp. When we sit, we just sit it this wholeness, this completeness nothing needing to be added or removed. =)

Gassho
Shingen

SatToday/LAH

It is a very fine distinction, but I must say I agree with what Jishin and Shingen say here. In sitting such way, not pushing or grasping, one is not even listening or not listening.

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

[babyleaf]

Although this is an old thread, I found it very helpful so I just wanted to show gratitude for everyone's insight!

Best, and many thanks.

Gassho
Gaby
SatToday

[Mumeido Grundy]

Lovely stuff - distractions can be soooo subtle, and language so clumsy a tool, it's really useful to read these posts.
Many thanks to you all.
Deep bows

Mumeido
SatToday/LAH